Constituency Statement - Federation Chamber Wednesday, 13 September 2017

Deputy Speaker,

The soil is fertile up Wollondilly Shire way in my electorate.

At Tahmoor and Buxton, community gardens are flourishing.

Armies of volunteer green thumbs – kids, families, retirees, people with disabilities - tend to edible patches of pesticide-free wholesome goodness.

For Buxton, it is place to learn, inspire and have fun, while creating a financial way to support the garden as well as community hall.

At Tahmoor Uniting Community Garden, it’s about the fresh air, having a laugh and getting your hands dirty!

Both rely on volunteers – people like Sarhn McArthur-Gumbley, Max O’Connor, Terry Scanlon and Kerry Hawkins - to grow and harvest organic produce for their local communities.

There are many others …

In fact, last year’s Census showed that more than 22,600 people in Hume did voluntary work through an organisation of group in the 12 months to Census night.

Almost 14,600 people provided unpaid assistance to a person with a disability.

Hume is full of caring communities and it’s something I am fiercely proud of.

Camden Meals On Wheels, for example, has 73 volunteers and will need 95 or more by the end of the year to cater for the growing demand.

I want to tip my hat to people like:

80 year old Ellie Cunningham, who has volunteered for 44 years.

81 year old Barbara Brown - a volunteer for 18 years

And Robert McCaughan – who is 86 and has volunteered for 9 years

They help deliver more than 600 meals a week – extraordinary.

Deputy Speaker, like Camden Meals on Wheels, the Coalition keeps on delivering for my electorate.

In the next few weeks, nbn fixed wireless towers will be switched on at Mt Hunter, Werombi and Werombi East - bringing fast broadband to another 570 homes and businesses.

Another 400 premises will access the signal from towers which have just come online at Balmoral West, Bargo North and Hill Top South.

We know having access to reliable telecommunications is critical – especially in regional areas.

I was buoyed to learn during a recent visit to the rural villages of Tuena, Bigga and Binda in the west of my electorate that the local experience with the nbn SkyMuster satellite has been an overwhelmingly positive one.

One couple from Bigga explained to me they were making VOiP calls to relatives over the satellite – another local couple were using Skype to talk to their kids.

Fantastic feedback – and it’s only going to get better because from next month nbn will be doubling Skymuster monthly data limits.

A majority of consumers and businesses on the service are expected to receive larger peak and off-peak plans from their retailer at a similar cost to what they are paying now.

Great news for the more than 2235 Skymuster customers in Hume.